The Street Hawkers
Hawkers are familiar figures in towns. They are seen in villages as also in towns. They pass through the streets all the time of the day. Their number in towns is greater than that in villages. They go from door to door and from lane to lane in towns. We can see them at street corners, in fairs, on footpath and at school gates.
The hawkers sell a large variety of goods. Some sell sarees, towels, bed-sheets and pieces of cheap cloth. Some sell fruits and vegetables, while others sell sweets of different kinds. The hawkers sell utensils, crockery and articles of daily use. We find some of them selling toys, soaps, cosmetics, vermilion and bangles. Some hawkers carry their articles in borrows. Then there are others who sell things arranged in a tray.
The hawkers are shabbily dressed. They usually wear kurta and dhoti or trousers. Some were funny dress to attract children. They sell their goods from morning till sunset. Every hawker uses his own way of attracting customers. They know how to sell their goods. Some hawkers cry at the top of their voice. Some sing sweet songs in order to sell their wares. Some ring bells which they carry with them. Some dance and sing. In short, they adopt peculiar methods to sell their goods.
Their slogans are often interesting. A hawker of groundnuts often calls them almonds while a hawker of oranges shouts, ‘Buy presents from Nagpur’. The hawkers of sweets are very cunning. They attract children by their sweet words. The street hawkers sell their goods at high prices. The quality of their goods is inferior to that of the goods in that market. Often they befool women and the children. Women know very well how to bargain with them. In villages in place of money they accept grain for their articles.
We generally find that the street hawkers keep their edibles open. They do not cover them, so the flies sit on them and spread the germs of disease from one place to another. Sometimes their clothes and hands are dirty. They often sell stale and rotten things. So we should not buy those things which are exposed to dirt and flies.
The hawkers are liked by the children very much. They make some of the children their favorites in every mohalla. Some hawkers go to certain lanes daily. This is advantageous to the customers. They can easily but their daily needs at their doors.
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.